The Orkney Image Library
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1950 ish He left Orkney when a young man and went to work in Edinburgh driving a horse lorry carting the eggs from the Orkney boats in Leith. On a day when there were no eggs to cart he drove trams . His father died quite young and William had to come home and help his mother on the croft [8 acres].He worked any where he could get a job and often told us about his time pumping air to the divers working on the wreck of the St Rognvald He eventually bought 30 acres off Housebay and set to work and quarried all the stones and built himself a house and steading. He called it Sunnyside. It was in his contract that he had to pay the masons £15 when the house reached side wall height . We still have the receipt.
Picture added on 03 December 2013 at 19:58
Fascinating piece of history, Colin. Thanks!
Anonymous comment added on 04 December 2013
The Crofters here in Hoy were evicted tae a poor weet peice o grund in Whaness and had tae build a hoose and steading and dell oot three acres o grund in three year or face eviction again but jist in time 1886 came the Croftin Reform Act and hid saved them.
Added by John Budge on 04 December 2013
Love the photos and the little peek o history they tell- just keeps u looking and looking
Added by Vince on 06 December 2013
I also love this site, even though I am in Australia. Fantastic photos and comments. Especially when they are written with an accent! Love it!
Added by Heather on 16 September 2014
Careful Heather - the o in Vince's comment may be part of the Orkney way of speaking but the u isn't.
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Added by Ian Hourston on 03 October 2014
Stronsay
